


Overdoing Things

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 16:19:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8807635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: The title says it all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sentinel Thursday prompt 'candle'

Overdoing Things

by Bluewolf

"Do you never get tired, Chief?"

Blair looked at his friend, a slight frown on his face. "I'm not following you."

Jim grinned. "No, usually you're way ahead."

"That's a total non sequitur, Jim," Blair said.

"You're usually two or three ideas ahead of me. I mean... I can't always keep up with the way your mind works. There are times I envy you your energy."

"Just making efficient use of my time," Blair said nonchalantly.

"But it's more than that." Jim hesitated, trying to find the best words to explain how he felt. "Between Rainier and the station, you're going the equivalent of two full-time jobs. I worry about you sometimes. You remind me of the poem

“My candle burns at both ends- It will not last the night...

"I... Sometimes I wonder how you keep going. I get scared that you're going to crash, collapse from total exhaustion... "

"Not going to happen," Blair said. "People need different amounts of sleep. I'm lucky; I don't need much. Like Simon says, as long as it's dark when he goes to bed he can fool his body into thinking it's had a full night's sleep. Yes, I can only go on for so long; eventually I do flake out - but a couple of hours and I'm usually good to go again, which is just as well." It was his turn to hesitate. "I admit, if I get the chance to sleep longer than I normally do I won't say no, but I don't need  to."

"I see," Jim murmured. "Okay. Just... make sure you don't overdo things, huh?"

Blair grinned. "Are you listening to yourself, Jim? Pot, meet kettle... "

"Now that's a non sequitur."

"Let's just say... I'll stop overdoing things when you do, okay?"

"Me? I don't overdo things, Junior!"

"No? How many hours of overtime did you clock up this week?"

"That's different," Jim muttered uneasily.

"No, it isn't. I know there aren't enough detectives to go around and everyone is doing the work of at least one and a half men, but you're trying to do the work of three. Just make sure <i>you</i> don't crash."

Jim was silent for a moment. "If I do, I've got you to pick me up," he said at last.

"And if I crash, I have you to pick me up," Blair replied. "And if that day does come, we both stop overdoing things, right?"

"And stop burning the candle at both ends?"

They grinned at each other as Blair nodded. "We blow the candle out, Jim... and take a week off."


End file.
